Maine Human Rights Commission finds that Tamco Transportation discriminated against employee because of his disability

The Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has found reasonable grounds to believe that Tamco Transportation, headquartered in Presque Isle, discriminated against Peter Freeman because of his bipolar disorder.

Mr. Freeman worked for Tamco as a truck driver. When Mr. Freeman told the owner of Tamco that he had bipolar disorder, he said “that explains a lot.” When Tamco later terminated Mr. Freeman, the owner told him that he needed to lay him off due to a lack of work. However, when Mr. Freeman filed for unemployment compensation, the owner changed his reason for the termination. He told the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation that he actually terminated Mr. Freeman, in part, because he “appears to be bipolar.” Tamco’s owner continued to change his reasoning for the termination during the MHRC’s investigation. At one point, he told the MHRC that he terminated Mr. Freeman, in part, because he was in an accident with his truck. He later admitted that the accident was not Mr. Freeman’s fault and that he did not consider the accident when he terminated him. Tamco’s claim that it had to lay off Mr. Freeman due to a lack of work also did not make sense to the MHRC because Tamco hired another truck driver just a couple days after it terminated Mr. Freeman.